


Cast in Nightmares

by ao_no_senshi



Category: Ultraman Saga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-24
Updated: 2012-09-24
Packaged: 2017-11-14 23:55:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/520848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ao_no_senshi/pseuds/ao_no_senshi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone has nightmares, even the people you least expect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cast in Nightmares

Taiga groaned to himself as another rumble of thunder crashed across the sky. How was anyone supposed to sleep through this? Zero was conspicuously silent in his head and Taiga pulled a face at his erstwhile partner. It was all very well for _him_. Did Ultraman even _need_ to sleep? He turned over on the futon and tried to settle back down; maybe this time he'd be able to drift off.

A quiet sound of distress broke through the momentary lull in the storm and Taiga looked towards the door reflexively, wondering if it was one of the kids unable to sleep. When it had become obvious that he and Musashi were going to be here for a while Anna had put her foot down and shifted him and Musashi off to a separate room. Most of the time he didn't mind but if there was a problem he didn't like not being on hand. The sound came again and he looked away from the door in surprise, switching his gaze to his roommate instead, for that was where the distress was coming from.

Musashi wasn't moving about in his sleep anymore than he usually did, in fact it was quite the opposite, being rigid with tension instead. How was he even asleep at all? Taiga wondered and he'd maybe be more annoyed about it if it wasn't for the fact that Musashi wasn't exactly sleeping peacefully. It looked, in fact, as if he was... afraid, and that just seemed wrong. He'd never seen Musashi actually afraid before.

"Musashi-kun," he hissed, not wanting to raise his voice and disturb anyone in the next room. "Wake up. It's just a nightmare."

'Just' a nightmare, he thought, his mouth twisting up at the corner. He knew all about nightmares, nightmares of the day his parents hadn't come back, the Spheres flying through the sky destroying everything, those were nightmares he was all too familiar with. Musashi had been Cosmos for a while, he knew. He'd spent over a year actively fighting, much as he was now; it wouldn't be a surprise that he'd come out of that with some nightmares. Actually, it would be more surprising if he _hadn't_. 

Well, nothing else for it. If talking wasn't going to work he'd have to get more hands on. Shuffling his futon over to Musashi's so he wouldn't have to actually get up, Taiga reached out to cautiously put a hand on Musashi's nearest shoulder; carefully because he didn't want to be on the receiving end if Musashi woke up lashing out. As it turned out he didn't. He didn't even twitch as Taiga touched him so he tried shaking his shoulder a little harder.

"Musashi-kun," he said insistently. "It's just a dream, it's not real anymore. _Musashi_ -kun."

That got a reaction but not the one Taiga was expecting. Musashi didn't wake up, instead he rolled over onto his side, hand fisting in Taiga's shirt as if he was some kind of security blanket or something. 

"I'm not a teddy bear or anything, you know," he told his sleeping roommate without heat. But whatever, if it was going to help he didn't mind being sort of cuddled and before he knew it he found himself slipping an arm around Musashi's back, patting it awkwardly. Some of the tension Musashi was carrying eased and Taiga was a little surprised at the relief he felt at that. Musashi was still tense but it was easing little by little and that was a good thing.

He jumped at the quiet knock on the door, but before he could say anything it opened, Nonko-chan popping her head around it. Her expression went from hesitant to smug in an instant but it turned out that the quiet knock did what the thunderstorm couldn't: it woke Musashi up and Taiga found himself shoved away hard as Musashi rolled up onto his feet, his hands automatically reaching for his jacket and the Cosmo Pluck in the inside pocket, Musashi looking around wildly for the non-existent threat.

"Musashi-kun," he said carefully, easing himself between Musashi and the door, just in case. "It's just Nonko-chan, it's not an emergency." Was Musashi even really awake? he wondered, watching Musashi's eyes dart around the room before settling on him, realisation slowly replacing the urgency. Musashi's shoulders sagged and Taiga was tempted to pat him on the shoulder again but Musashi was looking over at Nonko and it didn't seem like the right... moment. Or something.

"Nonko-chan, is something wrong?" he asked, apparently not yet ready to relinquish his jacket and henshin device.

"No," she replied, looking uncertainly between the two of them. "But we're making hot chocolate for the children seeing as they can't sleep. Do you two want some?"

Musashi smiled, relaxing and letting his jacket drop back to the floor. "Sure, we'll be right there." Taiga grinned at her and nodded and she left, pulling the door shut behind her.

"You okay?" he asked as Musashi started for the door.

"Of course," was the easy reply but for once Musashi's smile didn't reach his eyes and Taiga caught him by the arm, halting him in his steps.

"Don't do that," he said as Musashi stared at him in surprise. "Don't pretend you're fine when you're not."

"It was just a dream, Taiga," Musashi replied. "A bad one, sure, but it's over now."

"That doesn't mean you're fine." He was prepared to be stubborn about this as long as he had to be, hot chocolate or no hot chocolate. Musashi could be stubborn as well, he knew, but he wasn't going to be swayed on this. Musashi glared at him for a moment but in the end he was the one to cave first.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Not asking you to." Should he... Musashi had seemed to need it before so maybe... Not stopping to second-guess himself more than he had already, Taiga tugged Musashi back towards him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. 

"Taiga." Musashi sounded unsure but he hadn't tensed up at the hug and that was all Taiga needed right now.

"Deal with it," he muttered. "You feel like crap, you're getting a hug." It felt... odd, having Musashi so close but he wasn't about to let go either. It was only odd in a tingly kind of way, not uncomfortable or anything. There was a soft chuckle in his ear, Musashi's breath warm and ticklish against his skin as he slipped his arms around Taiga's back. It only lasted a moment, the space of one, maybe two breaths, before Musashi pulled back again, but when he smiled it was more genuine, if more tired than normal.

"Thanks," he said. "But we should go join the others or we won't get any hot chocolate."

"Can't have that," he agreed: Lisa made good hot-chocolate, after all. "After you," he added, gesturing Musashi forward, his fingers trailing absently across the small of Musashi's back as he moved away. He blinked as he realised what he'd just done, fingers curling up into his palm as Musashi gave him a brief grin as he stepped out of immediate touching range.

Oh. This was... Oh.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Zero muttered, finally popping up again to be of absolutely no help whatsoever.

"You shut up," Taiga hissed, pointing a finger at the chunky bracelet fastened around his wrist, the blue light pulsing with Zero's presence. "What do you know anyway?"

"Plenty. I could tell you--"

"I don't want to hear it," he interrupted. "Keep your shiny nose out of it."

Zero spluttered indignantly, calling him a number of insults of which 'ungrateful' was probably the nicest but Taiga tuned him out easily enough. He and Zero had this down to a fine art by now.

He followed Musashi into the main room, taking a steaming mug off Lisa and headed for his usual seat at the table. Only to find Nonko sitting in it, leaving the only chair free the one next to Musashi. He scowled at her only to get a sweet - entirely fake - smile in response, taking the seat with the minimum of fuss. He wasn't going to hear the end of this any time soon.


End file.
